Austin’s very own NadaMoo! is in the race for VegNews Magazine’s Veggie Awards in the Favorite Vegan Ice Cream Category, and since we’re big fans of theirs, I wanted to share the news.

If you haven’t tried Nadamoo! you need to, and if you have you know they’re creamy, not overly sweet and rooted in goodness. They start with luscious, creamy coconut milk, known for its healthy fats and natural sweetness, add agave nectar and tapioca syrup, naturally low on the glycemic index and finally add the last bit of magic, blending in the flavors and ingredients that make NadaMoo! one of a kind.

Ran across this article for 21 Meals With Tons Of Protein And No Meat on buzz feed and had to share! I’m always looking for ways to add more protein to my diet without eating meat, and some of these look amazing. With at least 18 grams per serving, these meals give vegetarians, and those of us who just prefer not to eat too much meat, plenty of protein options!

Eggs – I used to love them scrambled, hard boiled, over easy, and just about any other way you could make ’em. Today, I have to avoid them, along with grains, dairy, gluten and several other more obscure foods, so I find myself testing various egg replacers while baking and cooking.

There are tons of reasons that you might be avoiding eggs; if you’re like me, you’re doing so because you’re following the Auto Immune Protocol diet which calls for an egg and nightshade-free diet. You might also be following the Paleo diet, some devotees of which avoid eggs. There are countless other reasons including food allergies, vegetarian and vegan lifestyle choices and potentially the avoidance of an increased risk of some types of cancers.

Personally, I still feed eggs to my son and I think I’ll have a tough time trying to convenience he and my husband to go cold-turkey on those guys, but until then, I’m using some egg replacement guidelines to help bake and cook without them since I’m egg free.

I hope these help you!

Egg Replacements for cooking/baking:

If a recipe calls for just one or two eggs, you can often skip them, or add a couple of extra tablespoons of water for each egg eliminated to balance out the moisture content of the product. However, if you feel they’re needed for consistency, or to hold the ingredients together, here are some helpful conversions for replacing eggs.

1/4 cup of tofu blended (any kind) with the liquid ingredients in the recipe

While I stumble my way through testing all of these, I’d love to hear your thoughts!

If you’re uisng egg replacers, I’d love to hear what you use, and when. In other words, do you find one of the above is better for baking, while you use another replacement method for cooking? What are the pros and cons, etc?

When we made the move to Austin a little over a year ago, it was one of the hottest summers on record. We consistently beat the record for the number of days over 100 degrees, topping it off with more than 113 days and a record high of 111 degrees. And while you typically spend the first few months of a new town getting adjusted to the city, exploring the sites, discovering the wonders and unique aspects of it, we spent most every day in a local pool or watering hole so we could keep cool. And while we did manage to explore the local eats, it wasn’t until it cooled down a bit that I felt like truly discovering the many amazing eateries that help make Austin such a fun, eclectic and fabulous town. I’ve written in the past about the Austin Food Cart scene, and the abundance of gluten free restaurants here, but until now I haven’t yet focused on the meat-free restaurants gracing our quaint little town. And while I appreciate the importance of a plant based diet, and definitely eat my fair share of veggies, I don’t live a vegan life, so I was happy to stumble across this list from Food Republic of vegan and vegetarian restaurants in Austin.

I know how amazing our little city is, but there are plenty of you out there who have never been, and have no idea how wonderfully supportive Austin is. Yes, it’s a foodie town packed with its fair share of BBQ and Tex Mex joints, but as this list below shows, Austin is a fabulous supporter of meat-free living. I mean, how many other cities can you go to an African food cart, and ask for a Paleo salad which was full of fresh spinach, roasted lamb and delicious raw veggies? Ok, that’s not exactly a Vegan example, but I could have left off the lamb and it would have been equally as divine.

So without any more delay, here’s the list from Food Republic complete with site links and contact info so you can check them out!

Bring on the hot summers, not so cool nights (gotta love our Texas weather!) and we start craving somethin’ sweet! In an effort to avoid the abundance of uber-sweet, sugary ice cone places all around Austin, we prefer to make our own goodies around here. And this is one of our new faves.

This is a delicious, refreshing dessert packed with flavor and natural sweetness from the ripe peaches, and with the use of coconut milk and grape juice rather than cow’s milk, it remains gluten free, dairy free, vegan and 100% delish!

As many of you following a paleo diet can relate to (and as this Italian-raised girl often blogs about) the old pasta dish is one of the most commonly missed dishes in my home. I grew up on homemade pasta dishes covered in homemade sauces, used as a base for lasagna and nestled in between fresh mozz and ricotta cheeses as a baked ziti. So when I found out I had to give up pasta, I felt sad and a bit scared; scared of never enjoying my old favorites again.

And it didn’t take long for me to hop online searching for an alternative pasta once I went paleo and kicked out all grains for good. Soon I discovered many posts about “zuchinni pasta”. Sliced lengthwise, about one-eighth-inch thick (which you can also do it with a sharp knife, but it’s easier with a mandoline), zucchini ribbons can stand in for regular pasta. (Steam them for a couple of minutes until they’re crisp-tender.)

So when we ran across this paleo, dairy free ‘pasta’ dish on All Against the Grain, we were so excited to give it a test as it meets not only our gluten free, but our paleo needs too. And as Danielle who writes All Against the Grain often does, she was inspired by a similar recipe she found online and tweaked it a bit for her own tastes.

This tasty little treat is not only grain free, but it’s dairy free as well, and with a quick omission of the prosciutto, it’s vegan friendly too. How perfectly balanced is that? Food and health in harmony; life is good 🙂

Sometimes I miss the salty crunch of chips, pretzels or crackers, so when the urge kicks in I turn to these guys; roasted, spicy chickpeas. They’re a tasty, easy to make treat and I typically have all the ingredients in the pantry. I discovered the recipe on What’s Gaby Cooking and I have to admit, I love the warm, spicy, toasty, salty combo! They make a great snack on their own, or as a side dish to your fave main course.

All you need is 30 minutes, a can of garbanzo beans and some typical household spices. Kick up the heat for those of you with a flair for spicy. Enjoy!

Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans in a large colander. Continue to rinse until all the foamy liquid goes away.

Line the counter with a few sheets of paper towel. Place the drained garbanzo beans on top of the paper towel and let them dry for a few minutes.

Once the beans are dried, place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and then sprinkle on the spices. Using your hands, toss the beans around so they are all fully coated.

Place the baking sheet in the oven for 20 minutes and all to roast. After 20 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and give the beans a little shake and then place back into the oven for another 20 minutes.

Sweet, salty, creamy and crunchy. Too good to pass up!

I’ve mentioned how much I like this site, Against All Grain, in the past so today I’m showcasing another of her fab recipes which is perfect for summer! As someone who eats a lot of salads, I can tell you I’m excited to give this one a shot. The idea of combining the sweet and gritty texture of watermelon with arugula and goat cheese is just too tasty to imagine. So while I head out to the store to grab some watermelon, I wanted to throw this recipe up so you can enjoy it in the meantime.

Using a large biscuit cutter, or just great circle cutting knife skills!, cut the watermelon slices into round circles. Use a knife to trim off any parts that make the circle uneven so it sits flat on a plate.

In a medium bowl, toss the arugula with the mint, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Arrange the watermelon circles on a plate, then top each with a small handful of the arugula mixture (roughly 1/3 cup each).

Sprinkle each salad with goat cheese and the chopped walnuts, then drizzle the balsamic vinegar over the tops.

Enjoy!

Notes

* If you’re serving to a larger crowd, or don’t want to take the time to cut the watermelon into rounds, you can use a melon baller to create cute balls or just simply cut the watermelon into chunks and pile it all into a salad bowl.

Ever find yourself craving a tasty burrito packed with delicious, non GMO goodness that you can take on the go?

If not, you can stop reading now cuz this won’t interest you at all 🙂 If yes, then read on to learn more about Red’s All Natural – a delish, good-for-you and tasty on the go option found in most local grocer’s freezers. Red’s Burritos are packed with NON GMO, 100% All Natural meats and fresh cheeses, frozen and shipped to grocers nationwide. They are a healthy and tasty option, though we can’t promote them as GF friendly (these guys are flour based) but they do offer a healthy alternative for our non GF friends and we can’t resist the urge to promote a good option when we find one.

Offering vegetarian and meat based burritos, these tasty treats are a sure fire way to curb a craving when it hits. So be sure to check their site to find a grocer in your area carrying Red’s, and if you find yourself visiting their site, be sure to tell them we sent you!

Mary’s Gone Crackers!

And cookies, pretzels and crumbs too 🙂 So it seems

Not only do we love their name, but these are some darn good crackers, cookies, pretzels and crumbs too! Mary’s lines are embedded in what she calls “Conscious Eating”. And I have to admit, I wish I would have thought of that perfectly clear and catchy little phrase first! It eloquently describes why we embrace allergy-free and kind eating habits, and Mary’s Gone Crackers offers several products to help you along that path. From crackers to cookies, pretzels and baking crumbs, Mary’s Gone Crackers believes in Conscious Eating. Eating consciously means being aware of how food impacts our minds, bodies and the planet, which is why Mary’s Gone Crackers uses organic, gluten free and non-GMO whole food ingredients. Yay!!

My son loves the crackers and cookies, though we have yet to try to the pretzels or crumbs but fully intend to do so. Sadly, I can’t eat quinoa, bot for those of you who can, these delish little crackers get 2 thumbs up from an 8 year old’s discerning palette.

We also love how Mary’s invites you to join their community and submit recipes online, with any lucky winners’ recipes who are chosen to be featured on their site receiving a free box of Mary’s Gone Crackers cookies. YUMMY rewards!

Using theirpostal code locator on their site here, you can browse the stores that carry Mary’s in your area. If you’re not among the lucky who have Mary’s nearby, we are hoping to offer them on our online store soon enough. Until then, you can always contact the supportive and friendly staff at Mary’s who will surely be happy to help you.

Why we love Thunderbird– well, first, we haven’t tasted one we didn’t love! Not only are they handy and allergy-free friendly, they’ve literally saved us from a low-sugar driven faint spell. Well, it wasn’t quite that drastic, but they certainly helped stave off a cranky fit due to hunger pangs. Grab any of their 6+ delish bars and rest assured you will love any of their healthy, allergy-free friendly bars wrapped in eco-friendly wrappers.

I find them super handy to keep in my bags in case I find myself hungry at a sporting event, conference, travels, etc. and that inconvenient hunger pang hits when there are little (if any) allergy-free options around. My fave is the cashew fig because it’s not too sweet, and with the dates as a base, its moist, soft and totally satisfies! But with flavors ranging from Cashew Fig Carrot, Sweet Lemon Rain Dance, Cocao Hemp Walnut to name a few, these bars are sure to please every palette.

Good food, that is good for you and our pretty little planet. How can you go wrong?

I happen to love latin-inspired foods, and we eat a lot of cilantro-laden and often spicy foods around here. Fortunately our son enjoys the heat too, so we can prepare foods to suit our tastes, but occasionally we have to modify the heat a bit to his liking. So when I ran across this recipe in Whole Foods recently, we tested it out and agreed it was suitable for all of us.

Courtesy of Whole Foods, this is a slightly spicy, light and fresh salsa that makes a great dip for chips or addition to fajitas hot off the grill and breakfast tacos. So depending on your family’s preference, add chiles to suit your tolerance for fire, and enjoy a delish, gluten free, paleo friendly salsa to complement pork, chicken, beef or simply as a stand alone for your preferred dipping choices (we recommend celery or fresh, home-made zucchini or kale chips).

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 6-8

Calories per serving: 10

Fat per serving: 0

Ingredients

2 medium cluster tomatoes, seeds removed and cut into small dice

15 sprigs fresh cilantro, leaves roughly chopped (discard stems)

1 large garlic clove, minced

1/2 medium-size onion, diced

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice, or to taste

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 fresh serrano chile, minced (discard seeds)

1 fresh jalapeÃ±o chile, minced (discard seeds)

Instructions

Place diced tomatoes in medium-size bowl, add cilantro, garlic, onion, lime juice and salt. Taste a tiny bit of both serrano and jalapeno chiles to gauge degree of heat and add according to preference.